Following the No. 2 seed Michigan women’s basketball team’s 92-63 dismantling of No. 7 seed North Carolina State in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32, the Wolverines will face No. 3 seed Louisville (29-7) in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday, March 28 at either 12:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
The Cardinals advanced on Monday afternoon after beating the No. 6-seed Alabama (24-11), 69-68, in a game that went down to the wire. The Cardinals survived a game which had 18 lead changes, the most of the NCAA Tournament thus far. Louisville won the game on the glass despite dismal 8-for-16 free-throw shooting, out-rebounding the Crimson Tide, 41-24, including a 14-4 margin on offensive boards. The Cardinals withstood Alabama’s three-point barrage, shooting 46 percent from three on 12-for-26 shooting.
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Louisville had a balanced scoring attack against Alabama, with three double-figure scorers in forward Elif Istanbulluoglu and guard Tajianna Roberts with 18 apiece, complemented by guard Laura Ziegler’s 12 points. Istanbulluoglu’s 18 was good for a double-double with 11 rebounds, and forward Mackenly Randolph added nine points and 13 boards. The Cardinals also got the Crimson Tide in foul trouble, racking four up on three starters and fouling out bench guard Ace Austin (Alabama’s leading scorer).
Michigan is 0-4 all-time against Louisville, first playing in 2017 and most recently falling to the Cardinals in the Elite Eight in 2022, the furthest the Wolverines have advanced in March Madness.
